Quiz: Are You a Common Phrases Master?: HowStuffWorks

Are You a Common Phrases Master?

EDUCATION

By: Talin Vartanian

5 Min Quiz

Image: Jose Luis Pelaez Inc / DigitalVision / Getty Images

About This Quiz

Do you think that you're a common phrases master? There's only one way to find out and that's with this quiz! With 30 questions about common phrases, we're hoping that you've studied at least a little bit!

Don't worry if you don't know too much about common phrases either, as this quiz can also serve as a learning process for you! There's only one rule when taking this quiz, and that is to have fun. Let's start with a couple of warm-ups to help prepare you for some of the common phrases in this quiz.

If two people really love each other, what might you call them? The answer would be "love birds!" Or how about this one: What should you swing for when you want to put in 100% of your effort with something? The answer is "fences!" This is a reference to knocking one out of the park -- both baseball phrases.

Some of the questions in this quiz will also require you to know the phrases beforehand, like the "Swing for the fences" example question. Let's try one more: If you really like something, you might say that the object in question is your cup of..." Nope, not coffee! It's tea! Great job with the warm-ups, now it's time for you to see if you're really a common phrases master!

If I say "This shirt is a dime a dozen," that means that the shirt is...

Common

Cheap

Expensive

Rare

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What does a "piece of cake" refer to?

An easy task

A misunderstanding

A really difficult task

A piece of a real cake

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If I have a "chip on my shoulder," than I'm holding a...

Grudge

A huge work load

Good memory

Chip of some kind

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Someone who is really busy may be equated to which of these insects?

Bee

Ant

Beetle

Spider

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Fill in the blank: "An _______ a day keeps the doctor away."

Apple

Orange

Opal

Endive

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If I say "This toy costs an arm and a leg," what does that mean?

The toy is expensive.

The toy is very rare.

The toy is cheap.

The toy is very easy to find.

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If I want you to "knuckle down" on this task, than I want you to...

Take this task seriously.

Forget about the task.

Get some help for the task.

Use your knuckles for the task.

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Let's say you're really stressed out and I'm trying to calm you down. Which of these phrases would I most likely say to you?

"Keep your shirt on"

"Let her rip"

"Let the cat out of the bag"

"Keep your eyes peeled"

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Something that is super simple to do might be like...

"Shooting a fish in a barrel"

"Right off the bat"

"Rolling with the punches"

"Long in the tooth"

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What was "not built in a day?"

Rome

Greece

Los Angeles

New York City

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If I'm feeling really tired, I might be "running out of"...

Steam

Fumes

Air

Water

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Let's say I'm giving up on a task. What would I be "throwing in?"

A towel

A washcloth

A shirt

A frog

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What does the early bird always get?

The worm

The rabbit

The food

The crickets

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Why is "The Quick Brown Fox Jumps Over The Lazy Dog" a famous phrase?

Because it uses all of the letters in the alphabet.

Because it's based on a true story.

Because it was the first phrase ever to be recorded.

I'm not sure.

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What's the missing letter in this phrase: "There's no ____ in team."

I

O

L

N

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What finally broke the camel's back?

A straw

A heavy bag

Too much walking

Old age

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Which of these shellfish equates to happiness?

A clam

A lobster

A crab

A scallop

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Pick one of these phrases that is used to warn someone of a potential threat.

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